How much do you tip at buffet?

[qofcc]

We went to Chinese buffet for dinner tonight. Our "server" was also the host and cashier. He brought us drinks, took away the dirty plates and asked if we needed anything then brought the check. When we got to the counter to pay the bill was $32. I left $4. If it was a regular restaurant I would have left $7 (20% rounded up) but it seemed $2pp was reasonable for that level of minimal service. But now I'm second guessing myself. Did I leave enough?

[geenamercile]

Depends how many rounds of dirty plates did you have?  I think sometimes buffets could be more work then normal serving.  If you think about normal serving you are removing plates normally 2/3 times, apps, entree, dessert and all of that normally comes out and leave in sets for the whole tables.  With buffets I have seen people go up to the buffet 2 or 3 times and come back with more then 1 plate, and then go get dessert.  Also add in the fact that people finish and go back at different times, so not always in a nice pick up set for the next course.   I imagine drink refilling is pretty equal between the buffet and non buffet.  I also tend to tip also based on how long I was there.  I just got back from dinner with a friend and left 30% (it was sit down and we had all three courses) but the service was great and we were there for a little over 2 hours, there was a lot of talking.    

[qofcc]

Each had one drink and two plates

[Tennesseer]

Would three dollars more have broken the bank?  

Are tips shared at the restaurant including with the cooks?

[qofcc]

No not at all... But if I gave them 20+% for bringing two glasses of water and taking away a couple of plates for a 20 minute meal is that fair to tip the same 20+% to a full service server who took a bar order, memorized a list of specials, brought salad then dinner, maybe ran back for condiments and refills and came to the table multiple times to check on things over the course of an hour or two and clear plates? Back in the day when I waited tables at Friendly's 15% or at least $1 per person was about average but I try to do more than that.

[bookkeeper]

We recently went to an Asian Buffet.  Price was $15/pp.  We left a $6 tip. Our waitress was also the cashier.   

[Lizard Queen]

Tipping culture has gotten out of hand.

[Tennesseer]

Feb 21, 2022 22:24:05 GMT -5 qofcc said:

No not at all... But if I gave them 20+% for bringing two glasses of water and taking away a couple of plates for a 20 minute meal is that fair to tip the same 20+% to a full service server who took a bar order, memorized a list of specials, brought salad then dinner, maybe ran back for condiments and refills and came to the table multiple times to check on things over the course of an hour or two and clear plates? Back in the day when I waited tables at Friendly's 15% or at least $1 per person was about average but I try to do more than that.

Me and my friends favorite teenage hangout in the 1960s. Sit at a table and order a coke and fries.

[Deleted]

Feb 22, 2022 11:03:21 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Tipping culture has gotten out of hand.

Yes! When I order from Lenny’s online, they automatically add a tip now. I didn’t notice it until after the fact the first time it happened, now I make sure to take it off before I finalize the transaction.

Tip for what, exactly?! The dining room is closed and most of the tables removed. Of the tables that are still there, you can’t even sit down while they prepare your order. I order online, then walk in and tell them my name, they hand me my food, and I leave. I’m a fairly generous tipper at sit down restaurants, I tip housekeeping at hotels, I tip people that deliver food or heavy stuff to my home and set it up for me, I even tip the person that loads my trunk when I make large grocery orders for pickup if they can accept tips and especially if it’s cold and/or raining, but I really don’t see why I should tip when I order online from Lenny’s.

[susana1954]

I would have tipped 20% for the buffet.  The server is still doing a lot of work, and we are only talking a couple of dollars more.  It isn't the same thing as take-out, when I tip 10%.  I am talking about take-out from a real restaurant, not McDonald's.

I do agree that tip culture has gotten out of hand, though.  

[wvugurl26]

I would have just rounded up and left $40. If I'm dining in I do at least 20% and may round up a bit.

Maybe it is different at a take out only place but here when dining in was not permitted, staff was still being paid server wages. Those totals were still assigned to them and they are assumed to be getting at least $x in tips.

At places where I get take out, someone has to put that order together, get my sauces (if any) etc. I rarely call in if I can help it. I prefer to place it online. And now that they are opened again, I assume the server has other tables. It seems to vary whether it's a dedicated person or not. I'm not trying to figure that out.

It would be simpler if all this tipping weren't a thing. Of course none of the business owners want to cut into their profits by paying staff more.

And this is just me and my budget allows it but if I can give a couple extra bucks in a tip, I assume it means more to the server than me having those few extra dollars. Yes, they chose the job but we all want those jobs filled.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

We order pizza for me to pick up every Friday at 5 pm. They know me as soon as I start to order. It's a small family owned place with the best 9" "personal pizza" around. Pepperoni for me and white for my wife. When local places started to close I began to tip then 50% to keep them in business. Small price to pay to keep local quality around. 

[Deleted]

I was more understanding about the random requests for tips popping up earlier in the pandemic when restaurants and other businesses and their employees were losing money because things were shut down. I did tip then on carry out orders. 

I’m not sure why this Lenny’s still hasn’t opened their dining area again. It’s not like their employees were servers before the pandemic. You still had to get your own food and refill your own drinks. I ASSume that means they aren’t paid the ridiculously low hourly wages that servers are paid. And if I want to tip, let me do it on my own, don’t ease an automatic tip into the checkout process in a way that it’s easy to miss that it’s been added to my order. I think that’s the part that really irritated me and made me determined not to tip.